A growing number of Americans, as well as scientists and health professionals, are becoming increasingly aware of the interrelatedness of good nutrition and exercise habits and a healthy cardiovascular system. Similarly, there is a growing awareness that it is easier to instill good habits at an early age rather than to effect a change in poor habits at a later age. As a result a number of nutrition-oriented games have been developed which attempt to provide educational features which impart information to allow informed choices regarding calories, sodium intake, saturated and polyunsaturated fats, cholesterol, and the like. Among the games developed are U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,628 (Pope), a diet game which concerns itself with weight loss, U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,840 (Curtiss), a game which emphasizes the relationship between food consumption, exercise, and weight control, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,721 (McKay), a game which concerns itself with a nutritional characteristic and daily requirements for good health.
All of the aforementioned games are directed to older individuals and attempt to modify established behavior through instruction. The game of the present invention is directed toward three to six year olds and attempts to teach good nutrition and exercise habits in the formative years thereby ensuring that individuals will recognize and practice informed choices throughout their lives.
Accordingly it is the general object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus from which habits conducive to good cardiovascular health will result. It is another object of the present invention to provide a game which affords entertainment while imparting the nutritional skills necessary to make informed choices and recognition of the role of exercise in good health. It is a further object of the present invention to reinforce normative values. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.